Education in the Districts of Shushi and Alexandropol

and Its Social Manifestation According to the Datum

of the "Caucasus Almanac," 1910-1917

 

Summary  

 

I. Two Armenian districts had been included in different – Elisavetpol and Erevan Provinces of the Russian Empire, which were ethnically diverse by the majority of their population and local administration (Caucasian Tartars & Ar-//-147  menians).1 In the Elasavetpol Province 1 teacher was available for 155 children, in the Erivan region – for 307, and women formed 45,6% of all teachers in both areas.2 In all two cases, the centers of the districts excelled their provincial capitals in culture and books-printing (for Shushi),3 or in the industry and population (Alexandropol). Besides, the general flow of migration had been directed from the district of Shushi into Baku; or from the regional villages into Alexandropol, were manufacture and production were advised by the railway and by allocation of the garrison of 39th Infantry Division. //-14   

II. The centers of the Districts  had the Real (468 children, 70% were Armenians, 56% from the middle-class) or Commercial (459 boys, 83,6% of them Armenians, 50,7% from the middle-class) schools at their disposal.4 Students had been trained for eight years, 1 tutor worked with 23 pupils from 8 to 18 years old and those who attended educational institution composed 2-2,1% of the whole population. Charitable Foundations provided financial basis of education; they invested their means in the banks, getting 5-6% of annual profit. The diocesan schools taught all subjects in Armenian; and you studied also Russian, Turkish, French and Latin at the Karabakh diocesan cleric school. The time-table began at 8 or (since October 1) at 9:00 AM with 3 working hours at the class-room; then there was a 3 or 4 hours break until the second portion of the lessons. They lasted from 3 till 6:00 PM and were completed by the free of charge reading at the library from 6 till 8:00 in the evening, that had been done under surveillance of the teacher. In 1909-1910 the diocesan schools were concerned with the unification of their programs, striving to resemble them to the programs for gymnasiums. In September of 1909 the National Ecclesiastical Assembly in Etchmiadzin conducted a number of consultations and charged the Nersisian School with this task. In Shushi this work was supervised by inspector of the Karabakh diocesan cleric school, Physician N.Yaramishian; of the institution that had been founded on June 22, 1838, and functioned till March 23, 1920.5 //-149 

III. An order, issued by Nicholas II of Russia on June 12, 1903, commanded to transfer the property of the Armenian church under imperial management and led to the closure of Armenian schools, causing disturbances in Shushi. Some pupils left for Tiflis and Erivan. When the noted order was abrogated on August 1, 1905, by the tsar’s edict, it strengthened secularization of the whole education. However, the revolution of 1905-1907 shaped into a real inter-ethnic war with multitude of Tartar assaults and pogroms in Shushi. Economic basis of Armenian schools was destructed. It was only 1914, when owing to financial support by Nersisian School from Tiflis, in common with donations by the cotton and oil tycoons B.Arzumanian (200,000 rubles), M.Aramiants (30,000 rubles), four Ghukasian brothers (200,000 rubles) the Diocesan school at Shushi began to revive.6 As it stood in 1917, education in both Districts formed sound system of the State and Diocesan institutions, to begin with Primary Schools and up to Gymnasiums, which afforded a chance to enter some University. Universal training in Armenian, accompanied by the Classical language – Grabar, giving the basic knowledge in History and Literature ensured solid national education for girls and boys. Real and Commercial schools; the Mariinskaya Female Gymnasium, Mariam Ghukasian secondary school and Olginskaya Female Gymnasium Arghutian Armenian secondary school for girls,  as well as Diocesan (National) school at Shushi were well known far beyond their Provinces as the educational institutions of high standards of training. //-150

 

Notes

1) A density of the population in the District of Shushi was 32 people at the sq.km., 52% of the dwellers were Armenians. 43.869 persons lived in the city of Shushi in 1916, 53,3% of them Armenians, with the 1,9% of annual increment of population. A density of the population in the District of Alexandropol had been 73 people at sq.km, 90% of dwellers were Armenians. 54.874 persons lived in its principal city, 83,1% of them being Armenians. Annual increment of population reached 11,1%. Shushi notably surpassed Alexandropol by its payments into the State Treasury: 1,62 rubles versus 27 kop. for a soul. Кавказскiй календарь на 1917 годъ (LXXII г.), Тифлисъ, Типографiя Канцелярiи Намђстника на Кавказђ, 1916, Отдђлъ статистическiй, с.190-197, 214-221, 278-283, 292-293, 299-300 (following: КК); КК 1910-I, Отд.стат., с.178, 425, 442, 461, 596, 602, 606, 609; КК 1911 Учрежденiя Министерства торговли и промышленности, с.334; Учрежд. Министерства народнаго просвещенiя (following: МНП), с.226.

2) In the Province of Elisavetpol the government officials formed 0,16% of the whole population. Women amounted to 52,5% of all medical staff, 47,2% of traders, 46,9% of jewelers, 46,6% of builders; 1 merchant served 35 persons. In the Province of Erivan the State officials formed 0,11% of population. Women amounted to 50,1% of all medical staff, 47,3% of traders, 46,6% of jewelers, 39,3% of builders; here 1 merchant served 50 persons. КК 1910-I, Отд.стат., с.534-535.

3) Ա.Դաբաղյան, Շուշիի հասարակական կյանքը ըստ «Կովկասյան տարեգրքի»։ Շուշին հայոց քաղաքակրթության օրրան, Եր., Գիտություն, 2007, էջ 330-334; Մ.Հարությունյան, Մշակութային կյանքը Լեռնային Ղարաբաղում (Արցախում) 19-րդ դարի երկրորդ կեսին և 20-րդ դարի սկզբին: Ստեփանակերտ, Դիզակ պլյուս, 2010, էջ 62; Կ.Ղուլյան, Շուշիի տպագրության զարգացման պատմությունից։ Сборник статей международной конференции “Государства де-факто на постсоветском пространстве: пути и перспективы их развития.” Степанакерт, Дизак плюс, 2018, էջ 35: //-148

4) КК 1910-I, Отд.стат., с.596, 601, 609; КК 1911 Учрежд. МНП, с.226, 257; КК 1917 Учрежд. МВД, с.350-351, 405.

5) Here Petros Shamshian, Perch Proshian, Ghazaros Aghayan, Nikoghayos Aghbalian, agronomist Levon Takhtajian, composer Spiridon Melikian taught 374 pupils, namely Aram Manukian, Leo, Muratsan, Nikol Duman, Bakhshi Ishkhanian, Ishkhan of Van, Catholicos Karekin I Hovsepian of the Holy See of Cilicia; Doct. of Chem. Sc., Rector of the YSU and YerMI Hakob Hovannisian, painter Stepan Aghajanian, actor and producer Vagharsh Vagharshyan. See: Լէօ, Պատմութիւն Ղարաբաղի հայոց թեմական հոգեւոր դպրոցի 1838-1913: Թիֆլիզ, տպ. Ն.Աղանեանի, 1915, էջ 182, 257, 608-609, 614, 681-682։ //-149

6) Լէօ, նշվ.աշխ., էջ 579-585, 588, 630-637; Գ.Հարությունյան, Արցախահայ դպրոցը 19-րդ դարի երկրորդ կեսին և 20-րդ դարի սկզբին։ «Կանթեղ», Գիտական հոդվածներ, Եր., Ասողիկ, 2002, գիրք 4, էջ 213-222; Վ.Բալայան, Արցախը որպես առաջադեմ գաղափարների ձևավորման և տարածման կենտրոն (XIX դ. երկրորդ կես – XX դ. սկիզբ): «Բանբեր Մատենադարանի», Եր., 2020, № 29,  էջ 329-339:

  7) It had 581 pupils, 58,3% were Armenians, 16,9% from the middle-class, 14,3% personal aristocracy and officials. They were taught Armenian, Russian, French and German; God’s law, arithmetic, geometry, geography, history, natural sciences, physics, housekeeping, needlework; painting, singing, music and dancing. КК 1911 Учрежд. МНП, с.226-227; КК 1917 Учрежд. МВД, с.351. //-150   …